In the shape of his hand lay a river
In the shape of his hand lay a river is Iona Winter's fourth collection, and part of a body of work written after her son, prolific musician, Reuben Winter took his life. Here, through a poetic lens, she asks unanswerable questions, while embodying a multiplicity of emotions, and we are called to look at the ineffable absence of a beloved child. Winter's work around suicide bereavement and grief is honest, powerful and fearless, reminding us that love and pain, must always coexist. Iona Winter perfectly captures the pain and confusion that is grief. I often felt like these poems were speaking directly to my personal experience. Can't recommend this book highly enough - Dominic Hoey In the shape of his hand lay a river emerges from a practice of living that speaks impossible truth. Laced with beauty and an urgency to change our culture, Iona Winter's words compels me to listen to the dead, and the living.
About the author:
Iona Winter (Waitaha/Kai Tahu) is a poet, essayist, storyteller and editor. She has three published collections; then the wind came (2018), Te Hau Kaika (2019), Gaps in the Light (2021), and was creator, editor and publisher of the Elixir & Star Press Grief Almanac 'a liminal gathering' (2023). In 2022, Iona was awarded the CLNZ/NZSA Writers' Award to complete 'A Counter of Moons', a creative non-fiction book addressing the complexities of suicide bereavement. She founded Elixir & Star Press in 2023, as a dedicated space for the expression of grief in New Zealand, in memory of her late son and musician Reuben Winter. The inaugural publication 'a liminal gathering', was launched in November 2023, with over 100 multimedia artistic responses to grief. Iona holds a Masters Degree in Creative Writing, and is widely published and anthologised internationally. Skilled at voicing difficult topics, she creates work that spans genre and form. Her poetry has been performed solo and in collaboration with other multimedia artists, at numerous festivals and installations. Iona lives in the Tasman region of Aotearoa New Zealand.
